


Coping Mechanisms

by WhatOtherPlanet



Series: IMEBG AU [5]
Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, F/M, I think this actually turned out kinda fluffy which is surprising, I'm Not Ashamed, Multi, NB Neo, Other, Threesome - F/M/Other, do you have any idea how refreshing it is that EVERY CHARACTER HAS DIFFERENT PRONOUNS, finally: smut, intersex neo, oh and this is all panoply canon btw, seriously this is so relaxing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:01:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26006890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhatOtherPlanet/pseuds/WhatOtherPlanet
Summary: Living in Salem's Castle of Nightmares is very stressful. Watching two very attractive idiots constantly missing each other's signals isalsostressful.Neo finally decides to relieve a little tension.
Relationships: Mercury Black/Emerald Sustrai, Mercury Black/Neopolitan, Mercury Black/Neopolitan/Emerald Sustrai, Neopolitan/Emerald Sustrai, Referenced Emerald/Cinder but like it ain't happening
Series: IMEBG AU [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1331279
Comments: 10
Kudos: 38





	Coping Mechanisms

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: to those of you who're coming over from IMEBG/Panoply, this fic is self-indulgent smut and is not required for the Proper Narrative Experience or w/e. Feel free to skip it if that fits you best. Otherwise, please enjoy.

Boring, Neo could handle. 

They'd gotten good at amusing themself during long stakeouts and the longer stays at safehouses that tended to follow. Usually, those stretches of boredom were spiked with something else. Anticipation or satisfaction. And in the other stretches, the dry spells between Roman's jobs, there was plenty to be done. Put on someone else's body, hit up a club, shag some attractive stranger in the bathroom and vanish when they ask for a number. Or, if they were feeling sentimental and artistic, maybe take a midnight run through the city, climb around and tag some spots that'd be hard to sandblast. Or, fuck, even just get in a stupid, drunken brawl, see how many fuckers they could put down with their bare hands.

But part of the problem was that they couldn't exactly  _ do  _ any of that in Salem's Literal Castle of Nightmares.

There were no clubs outside, no city. Just rocks and Grimm in every direction, and a sky so dark and strange that it robbed time itself of any meaning. There wasn't any satisfaction, and the anticipation wasn't the fun kind.

There  _ were  _ people, of course.

There were the twenty or so assholes who wandered in and out on Nefarious Business, but they rarely stayed long. Roman was one of them now, spending most of his time fucking about in Mistral and pretending that he was still in control of anything.

There was her Royal Spookiness, who Neo made a point of avoiding for the simple reason that  _ they didn't like dying. _

There was Tyrian.

But in the end, at least there were the two people who Neo could actually stand. Even if they came with their own set of problems.

"C'mon Em, are you even trying."

Emerald grunted something obscene, ducking through a flurry of kicks and catching Mercury with a sudden uppercut that he  _ should  _ have seen coming. Mercury reeled, aura flashing over his jaw as he hopped back out of range. "Oh fuck off!"

"You never  _ said _ Semblances weren't allowed," Emerald sneered, wiping sweat off her forehead with her arm as they squared off again.

"Dick move, Em."

"Like you've ever fought clean in your life."

Neo rolled their eyes at the pair's incessant banter. Still, they couldn't help but find their gaze drawn to the sheen of sweat on Emerald's tight little midriff, or the way Mercury's pecs flexed as he rolled his shoulders.

Then Mercury flashed that cocky grin, and Emerald returned it in kind, and they clashed again, striking and being struck, dodging and missing and cursing, and all of it was strangely  _ beautiful. _ The Thief and the Butcher knew each other's styles as well as they knew their own. To win these matches required far more creativity than shanking some stranger in a back alley.

Not for the first time, Neo felt the burn of jealousy in their chest. Not for either of them in particular, but for the connection the two somehow had despite all the bullshit they'd gone through. Maybe because of it. In a healthy world, the two might never have been able to stand each other long enough to get close, but the pressure and the strain of living under Salem's thumb could turn coal to diamonds.

Neo was also feeling a different kind of frustration, because  _ void,  _ the sexual tension. Neo was  _ lonely,  _ dammit, and watching these two morons eyefuck eachother while they fought was just the worst kind of tease.

Mercury struck out with a jab, but he didn't realize he was punching air as Emerald strafed left and lined up a cross with his cheekbone. 

An old trick. Deadly against an unexpecting mark. Mercury wasn't.

He ducked the moment his fist hit air and immediately swept a leg out to catch Emerald in the ankle. The girl fell, cursed, scrambled to her knees, and then froze as her eyes focused on Mercury's boot, hovering an inch from her nose.

"I win," Mercury pronounced. "Again. Damn, it's almost like you  _ enjoy  _ losing."

"Oh you wish," Emerald grunted. She still accepted Mercury's hand, pulling herself upright and dusting herself off. She glared, dark cheeks flushed as she fell back into a boxer's stance. "Again."

Mercury grinned. "So it's best out of seven now? C'mon, give it a rest."

"Not until I  _ wreck  _ your ass."

"Oh? So  _ that's  _ what you're into?"

Neo couldn't stand another second of this. They snapped their fingers, shattering their illusion at the same time. Emerald and Mercury both jerked around, immediately relaxing when they saw who'd distracted them. "Fuck, Neo!" Mercury hissed. "Quit  _ doing  _ that."

"What, you don't like it when someone watches?" Emerald shot back, though if anything she looked more unsettled than he did.

Neo stood up and strolled over to them. Cocking their hip, they flashed a grin and raised their hands.  _ {My turn.} _

Mercury's eyebrows went up, and he smirked that stupid smirk that made Neo want to punch him and kiss him both at once. "Oh, so now  _ you  _ want a piece of this, short stuff?" he said, gesturing to his body.

Neo called his bluff, lidding their eyes as they inspected the goods. Mercury's sweaty workout T-shirt wasn't doing much to hide those pecs of his. The boy was cut like marble, and Neo had the sudden, vivid image of licking down the center of his chest while he moaned beneath them. Better yet, down his back, right up to that chiseled little ass of his.

Neo licked their lips.  _ Stars aflame, that ass. _

For a fragile instant, Mercury's face actually betrayed a little shock, lips just barely parting as a lightbulb went off somewhere in the back of his head. He recovered quick, sneering lasciviously and making a point of dragging his eyes down Neo's body in return.

Neo shivered, spreading their arms invitingly.  _ Good. Take it in, big boy. _

Emerald crossed her arms and huffed, and Neo quickly turned to give her a similar appraisal. All three of them had the practical kind of muscle, but Emerald's outfits always showed it off most. It was one of those obvious "distract them with the sexy" ploys that amateurs and fuckfreaks loved falling for, but in a context like this it meant Neo had a great view of the girl's  _ everything. _

Her current sports bra covered even less than her usual outfit, fully exposing those lean arms and that smooth little midriff, perfect for Neo to drag their fingernails down. Her shorts showed off thighs so strong you could cut steel wire with them. And of course, that was without even touching on her tits.

Which, of course, was something Neo would  _ very much  _ like to do. Grab, squeeze, twist, hear Emerald's cute voice crying out as her red eyes watered at the pain…

Neo realized they'd been staring, and quickly finished their appraisal and returned their gaze to Emerald's reddening face. They waggled their eyebrows.

Emerald's blush intensified, and she quickly looked away. "Whatever," she grunted. Neo took it as a partial victory.

"Oooh is somebody  _ jealous?" _ Mercury gave a theatrical gasp. "Wow, Em, I never realized you cared."

"Who said I was jealous over  _ you?"  _ Emerald sneered back. Her eyes widened as she caught her mistake. "I mean… just fuck off, Merc."

Mercury laughed. "No, no, wait, this is  _ great.  _ You're  _ into  _ this little gremlin?" Neo elbowed him, but he barely even flinched. "Never figured them for your type. Thought you were all about tall girls with six-inch heels they can stab you in the throat with."

The atmosphere went cold instantly, and Neo quickly stepped out of the way as Emerald whirled on Mercury, her fists and teeth clenched tight. "Shut the fuck up!"

Mercury's eyes narrowed. He didn't back down, but there was a moment of hesitation, like he was actually measuring his words for once. Then, without any warning, something in his eyes—in his spine—in the whole outer shell he faced the world with—just  _ snapped _ . "No," he said, his voice falling low. "Y'know what? I'm fucking sick of watching you pine over her. We both know she's a manipulative bitch who'll never do anything but abuse you, and honestly? You deserve better." Then, Mercury glanced away with—lo and fucking behold—the faintest possible hint of a  _ blush  _ on his scraggly face. "Not that you're getting anything better."

Emerald's eyes were wide, her mouth struggling to form words. "I… I—"

Mercury's shoulders sagged, just a little, his eyes dulling with resignation. "What, Em?"

Emerald looked away. "N-nothing." 

And Neo couldn't take this anymore.

They lunged at Mercury, fisting their hands in his collar and dragging him down to meet their lips. He was surprised, but he didn't fight it—thank the fucking  _ stars,  _ because Neo wasn't sure  _ what  _ they were going to do if he did.

His lips were chapped, his face all stubble and stress as he kissed them back, as they let go and got their hands under his shirt to rip it off.

The sound of an awkward shuffle made the two of them break it up, turning to look at shellshocked little Emerald.

"What the  _ shit," _ she said, taking a step back.

Neo inclined an eyebrow, ignoring Mercury's not-so-steady breathing in their ear. They beckoned with a finger.

Emerald took half of another step back. "What? Neo, I don't understand."

That earned Emerald the flattest look Neo had.

Mercury rolled his ash-grey eyes and cocked those knife-sharp hips. "I think Neo's trying to ask you to join in, Em," he said. It was an accurate, if censored, translation.

"Hold on, who said—"

Neo slowly blinked.

"Hey, no—"

Neo let Mercury go, crossing their arms over their chest and facing Emerald square on.

"Um."

Neo waited.

Emerald's shoulders stiffened even further. She turned her face away. "Look, what if I'm not—" She didn't finish the lie, cutting it off with fingernails in her own arm. "This isn't  _ healthy,"  _ she said.

Neo stared at Emerald in pure apoplectic befuddlement.

_ {What?} _ They signed.

Then, again, more emphatically.  _ {WHAT?} _

"Holy  _ shit  _ Em," Mercury groaned. "And where are you gonna find something  _ healthy,  _ huh?  _ Cinder?" _

The mood that'd been building instantly crumbled. Emerald's eyes flashed, and she stalked up to the two of them. "You don't know  _ anything," _ she said.

But Mercury stood his ground. "I  _ know  _ you'll never get what you want out of her," he said. "You can beg, and scrape, and give her those big soft eyes of yours all you like, but she'll  _ never  _ give you anything back. Your faerie tale romance ain't gonna happen." There was the briefest pause, like Mercury had to dredge up some actual courage to say what he said next, the words coming out softer than anything he'd ever said in all the time Neo had known him. "At least with us you'd have  _ something." _

"You…" Emerald's face grew ashen, her anger cracking into something less certain. "But…"

This was  _ not  _ how Neo had expected this to go, but… something about the moment tied a knot in their chest. They stepped forward, laying a hand on Emerald's arm. The girl flinched, but instead of pulling away she just looked at Neo with those big, lost eyes.

And a part of Neo really wanted to just kiss her right then, but that wasn't what Emerald needed, not yet. And while Neo was still kinda loath to admit it… they really were sick of seeing the girl get hurt. 

They raised their hands, letting Emerald go so they could sign freely.  _ {He's right,}  _ they said.  _ {Our lives are awful and we're all going to die young. I just think we should  _ **_enjoy_ ** _ the time we've got.} _

"But…" Emerald's red eyes filled with tears, spilling down her cheeks all at once. "But we're, we can't, we have to, I… I don't know."

Neo drew close to her slowly, eyes shifting to a warm brown. Emerald stiffened, as if expecting a punch or a slap, and then stiffened even further when Neo's hands only rested gently around her waist. Emerald shook with a sob, and her arms slowly settled around her smaller friend's neck.

(Because they were friends, weren't they? Despite everything.)

Mercury walked up beside them, laying a hand on Emerald's shoulder. "Cry if you gotta, Em, but you still gotta decide. We fucking, or what?"

Neo snickered into Emerald's boobs as a low growl built in the girl's throat. "ARGH, FINE," Emerald huffed. "Mercury, you suck." She hesitantly pushed Neo off her, looking them in the eyes. And for the first time all day, there was something new in there, a spark of ambitious hunger, needing only the lightest breeze to catch fire.

Neo fluttered their eyelashes, flickering their eye colors with every blink. Pink, white, brown. They winked, and the eye came up red as Emerald's own, with an illusory heart stamped over the pupil for good measure.

Emerald shuddered. "Fuck it," she said, her voice breathy as a weight fell off her shoulders. She leaned hesitantly forward. 

Neo nodded, blinking their eyes back to normal and tilting their chin up.

"Just, fuck it. Fuck it all, I don't care anymore."

Emerald brushed her lips against Neo's, and Neo leapt in to connect them, closing their eyes and letting the moment flow. Dimly, they could feel Mercury slipping in behind them, his breath rough and warm on their neck as his hands went to Emerald's hips.

"Fuck it," Emerald gasped into Neo's mouth. "Fuck it, just, fucking  _ fuck it." _

"You've sure got a mouth today—" Mercury started, but Emerald threw Neo out of the way and she was on him, shoving her tongue down his throat to shut him up, curling a leg around his hips and grinding against him. Neo couldn't help but let out a breathless, silent cackle.

It wasn't like this was any kind of surprise. Emerald had always struck Neo as the type to silently deny her needs as they built to painful extremes.

At least now she could finally release some of that tension. It all stirred up something in Neo's shriveled little heart.

_ We don't get good things, but at least we get this. _

The makeout session didn't seem to be slowing down, and Neo was too horny to wait their turn. They walked up and grabbed a fistful of Emerald's pert little ass, causing the girl to jerk forward and smack her forehead into Mercury's. She started letting off a string of breathless curses, but Neo just reached around and started to unzip her pants.

"S-shit, Neo!"

Neo paused, holding a hand out in front where Emerald could see it. They stuck their thumb up, then flipped it down. They repeated the gesture three times, for clarity.

"…Fuck it. Don't stop."

Neo quickly returned to their task, unclasping Emerald's shorts and ripping them down. Fuck, the girl was  _ soaked, _ dripping right onto the obsidian tiles.

Neo started to kiss the small of her back. First lightly, but quickly growing harsher, sucking and biting, leaving marks. Emerald moaned, gripping Mercury tighter as his fingers made bruises on her hips.

Neo flattened their tongue down Emerald's back, trailing between her asscheeks and drawing a shudder. They didn't go for her asshole—that could come later—but didn't hesitate to crouch down and lick at the bottom of Emerald's slit.

"F-fuck," Emerald gasped. "Neo, Neo…"

Mercury suddenly tugged Emerald away from Neo's mouth and picked her up in his arms. "Bedroom,  _ now," _ he said, and Neo quickly nodded. With just a second spent to grab Emerald's shorts, they rushed out of the training room, darting down the halls and frantically avoiding the Grimm that stalked them. And Tyrian.

Neo shuddered. The last thing they wanted to think about right now was  _ Tyrian. _

The three of them crashed into Mercury's bedroom. Neo slammed and locked the door behind them, while Mercury all but hurled Emerald onto the bed. She bounced, letting out a sharp squeak of protest, but before she could even sit up, Neo and Mercury were both on her, the former biting at her neck while the latter kneeled between her legs and took over eating her out.

"Merc! F-fuck!"

Neo grinned, and silenced Emerald with a forceful kiss, driving her back into the sheets. They reared back and ripped their shirt off, and Emerald quickly took the hint, grabbing at their tits and dragging a high, raspy sound from Neo's scarred throat.

_ Stars, it's been too long. _

Emerald seemed intent on stealing every gasp she could. While her left hand kept up the good work, while the right dropped to Neo's crotch and dug into the fabric of their pants.

The muffled touch was like fire, and Neo wished they could scream. They settled for reaching out and caressing Emerald's cheek, almost tenderly. Then they pressed their thumb up against her lips.

Emerald looked up with those big red eyes, clouded and teary from the sloppy havoc Mercury was making of her, and opened her mouth to suck on Neo's finger.

And Neo just,  _ couldn't. _

They pulled the hand away, climbed off Emerald, and ripped their pants off as fast as they could, flaring their aura to literally tear their briefs off their hips before climbing back onto Emerald's chest. Emerald stared up at them, then gasped as Mercury did something that made her jerk, and god Neo couldn't take it, they  _ couldn't. _

They kissed Emerald, deeply, then jerked their hips forward. Emerald needed no further instruction, leaning up enthusiastically to press her face into Neo's unshaved pussy and immediately sucking their clit between her lips. Neo let out a breathless whine, grinding their hips against Emerald's jaw, when suddenly Emerald let out a muted scream and came so hard she nearly bucked them both off the bed. She shook, still sucking, and Neo fisted their hands in the red sheets to keep themselves from giving Emerald even a millimeter of space.

Finally, Emerald gasped and turned away to breathe, and Neo let out an almost feral growl of frustration. But before they could even try and form the signs for it, they felt Mercury's hands on their tits and reflexively leaned back into his arms. He lifted them, laying them on the bed beside Emerald. "Give her a break," he said.

Neo resisted the urge to glare at him, instead looking over at Emerald and her glazed-out eyes. She watched the both of them, her chest rising and falling quickly, her mouth parted in stunned awe.

"Fuck me," she said.

"We just did," Mercury said.

"Fuck you," Emerald said.

"That's Neo's job," Mercury said.

Neo looked up at him, cocking their head. He'd gotten his shirt off at some point, his toned upper body flushed with sweat and exertion. He still had some of Emerald's cum on his face.

He had the absolute gall to look  _ bashful. _

"Y'know, if you're into that," he said.

Neo rolled their eyes, spread their legs, and raised their hands. They gave him the middle finger, and then used that same finger to make a rather unambiguous gesture.

Mercury didn't move. "I don't have a condom."

"Of course… you don't have a fucking condom," Emerald groaned.

Neo considered this, then turned their eyes to the sky.  _ There's no way in hell Mercury knows the signs for this. _

They glanced at Emerald and made a series of complicated gestures.

"W-what?" Emerald muttered.

_ Fuck.  _ Neo groaned, and turned back to their less-blitzed fuck buddy. After a moment's thought, they pointed at their belly, in the rough position where a uterus would be, and drew an X over it with their finger.

Mercury blinked. "Oh. Implant, hysterectomy, intersex, or something else?"

Neo stared at him, dry amusement curling in their chest.  _ Smarter than he lets on. _ They held up three fingers.

"Huh. Okay. Well, you'll be the first person I've ever fucked and I don't  _ think  _ I was born with an STD. You know you're clean?"

Neo nodded. They'd gotten tested at some point before they left Vale, and they sure hadn't gotten any action since then.

Mercury shrugged. "Guess there's not really an issue, then."

Neo raised an eyebrow and repeated the unambiguous gesture.

"Alright, if you're cool with it." Mercury unzipped his pants.

He wasn't the biggest Neo had taken, but he'd do. He didn't hesitate, (for which Neo was profoundly thankful,) taking his dick in hand and pressing it right up to their slit and then  _ in  _ without hesitation. Neo let out a sigh and relaxed into the sheets, tilting their head back as his hands found their hips and he started to thrust in and out.

_ For a virgin, he's  _ **_good_ ** _ at this, _ Neo thought as one of his thumbs went to their clit while the other hand rose to play roughly with their boobs. They'd never had much of a preference when it came to gender or equipment, but one of their favorite things about men was that they were generally  _ bigger. _ Emerald was sexy as fuck of course, zero complaints there, but Mercury grunted and shifted to put more of his weight on top of Neo… and suddenly Neo was grabbing his shoulders and ramming themself back against him.

He kissed them, his stubble scratching their lips, and they kissed back twice as hard, dragging his tongue into their mouth and keeping it there. They could taste Emerald on him, a rich, heavy flavor they'd only gotten to sample briefly. (A taste they hoped to become more familiar with soon.)

Neo rasped out a moan as Mercury's breathing grew unsteady, a litany of faint curses on his breath as he fucked them harder and  _ harder. _

It was fucking  _ bliss,  _ and then Emerald suddenly appeared, slipping partway between them and laying a savage bite on Neo's left breast, and it was  _ better  _ than bliss. It was torture. It was  _ agony,  _ all the lingering aches and unfulfilled little moments twisting into one huge ball of boiling tension just begging to be pushed off the edge of the cliff and splattered against the ground below.

Neo loved every second of it, right up to the end.

Their voice actually sounded out as they came, a painful, thin cry that hurt to give. It felt like lightning, like a grenade going off, like the best kind of messy death.

And Neo clamped down on Mercury's dick to make sure he felt it too. His thrusts got frantic until he suddenly pulled out and started jerking himself off.

Neo's eyes widened, and they hastily shook their head. They made the unambiguous gesture again.

"Really?" Mercury's lips twisted into a grin. "Well, okay then."

He put himself back in and fucked them even harder, and Emerald sucked Neo's tits and brought one of those clever hands to their clit and suddenly Neo was just  _ gone. _

They heard sunshine and tasted starlight.

(Whether it was just a strong second orgasm or the first real one they'd ever had, Neo couldn't say.)

When they came to, Mercury was still inside them. He'd cum at some point, and his hips were still shaking as he pumped out his last few shots.

Neo baked in the afterglow, laying back and letting Emerald paint their neck with bruises. When Mercury pulled out they let out a sad little moan, but almost immediately they felt him lie down beside the two of them and gather them both in his arms.

"What,  _ you're  _ a hugger?" Emerald teased, some of the fire back in her voice.

"Em, shut the fuck up and cuddle."

"…Yeah, okay."

For a bit they just  _ lay  _ there, panting and sticky and… something.

Eventually, Emerald shifted and wrapped her arms around Neo's side.

Neo smiled at her. It was an almost innocent little moment, if not for the jizz leaking out between their thighs.

Emerald stared for another second, then reached over Neo's head, grabbed Mercury by the hair, and pulled him into the sloppiest kiss Neo had ever seen.

She bit his bottom lip on the way out. "Fuck you," she sighed, then turned on Neo. "And  _ especially  _ fuck you, you creepy little fuck goblin."

Neo tilted their head quizzically and pointed at their chin, smiling sweet as frosting.  _ {Me?} _

Emerald's eyes flashed, and suddenly she was a lot closer than she'd been a second ago. Neo blinked, their eyes going white as Emerald reprised what she'd just done to Mercury, grabbing them by the back of their head and forcing her tongue into their mouth. Mercury took the opportunity to press up tight against Neo's back, sandwiching them.

Neo fluttered their hands in the air, trying to get Emerald's attention, but the girl had them liplocked and seemed pretty dedicated to keeping it up, even if her technique was strung-out and loppy.

Mercury just laughed. "You brought this on yourself, short stuff."

Neo tried to glare at him, but Emerald  _ bit their tongue  _ when they turned to get away! She had to breathe eventually though, coming away with a gasp. Shakily, she gathered her arms around Neo, and then threaded them around Mercury's back too, grasping tight and pinning the three of them together.

"Well, shit," Mercury said. "Guess both of us are huggers, huh Em?"

Emerald buried her face in Neo's chest in embarrassment, and Neo laughed, silent giggles quickly giving way to raspy, hacking noises.

They doubled up, curling their legs around Emerald, pulling her closer, wiggling to encourage Mercury to press his soft dick against their ass. It was so fucking nice to have warm bodies to touch. People who didn't hate them, who gave even a tiny sliver of a shit whether they lived or died. It'd been so long.

Actually, Neo wasn't sure they'd  _ ever  _ had all that before.

"So, what, this is what we do now? Bang each others' brains out to cope?"

Neo shrugged, shooting Mercury a wild grin over their shoulder Emerald groaned.

"I hate both of you," she mumbled. "Why do you have to be so fucking attractive?"

Neo pushed her head up, forcing Emerald to look at them. They smirked, and winked, pulling the same eye trick as before with the little heart.

"I hate you," Emerald said, but the fire from earlier was dying down. She hugged them closer, burying her face in their neck. "Stop it."

"Stop what?" Mercury asked, as Neo ran their fingers through Emerald's hair.

"Stop making me feel like a person."

Neo rolled their eyes. _ Drama queen. _ Still they planted a kiss on Emerald's forehead, squeezing her a little tighter.

"Oh gods are you gonna cry?" Mercury groaned. Neo jerked their head back to bonk him in the nose. Affectionately.

"F-fuck you," Emerald mumbled. "I don't… think I can keep doing this if you make me feel this good." Her voice was quiet, broken. "I know Cinder doesn't care about me, but that makes it easier. I never have to hope that it'll get better."

"Emerald, that's maybe the most fucked up thing you've ever said to me," Mercury said.

Emerald laughed.  _ "Wow,  _ that's kinda impressive."

"Yup. But, y'know, I'm glad you had fun or whatever." Mercury tousled Neo's hair. "Same to you, you horny little shithead."

Neo twisted their neck to give him a look of absolute affront. If they'd had their hands free they would have signed something like  _ {I have never been horny in my life} _ but honestly the jokes were wearing thin and talking was hard enough when they weren't holding onto a gorgeous woman and being handled by an…  _ adequate  _ man.

(Okay yes he was just as hot as Emerald but Neo knew better than to tell  _ him  _ that. His heads were big enough as they were.)

"Just don't start calling it love," Mercury said. Neo and Emerald shot him matched scathing looks. "What?"

"You're  _ such _ an asshole, Merc," Emerald said.

"You ever think that maybe—"

"I  _ know  _ we're assholes too," Emerald said. "Now just… both of you hold me. Please?"

She gave Neo a look of absolute betrayal when they slipped out of her arms and got up, but that look softened when Neo just moved around to the other side of the bed to put Emerald in the middle.

Somehow, Mercury got the covers over them. Neo wasn't really paying attention to how. They snuggled up against Emerald's back, and Mercury's arms held them both, and the three of them lay together until they drifted into a ragged, restless sleep.

The nightmares weren't gone that night, but at least they were a little less awful.

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhhhh, Something. Everybody does the "timeskip-forward-so-we-can-write-smut-now" thing eventually. I guess now it's my turn.
> 
> Writing porn is very satisfying. 10/10, would recommend. Also do we have a name for this ship? Because It's like 4AM and I'm too delirious to think of one right now.
> 
> Thanks ickyickyvic for the read-through! I think he's the only one this time. Idk, is it weird that I feel weird about sending my other friends my porn? Probably. Like I've read their porn too so like w/e, I should just get over myself and ask next time. ;w;
> 
> Anyway, hope you all Enjoyed. :) 
> 
> And yes, this is all more or less Panoply!canon. Takes place somewhere between team RWBY's first mission of the year and the Vytal Festival in Mistral.


End file.
